Chapter 293: The Gentlemanly Devil

Xia Yangyang calmly asked, "When did you start planning this?"

Shen Shichuan frowned, then said, "A long time ago. Since our first meeting."

"Our first meeting? The car accident?" Xia Yangyang recalled their initial encounter: her bicycle colliding with his luxury car, resulting in a twenty-thousand-yuan repair bill.

Shen Shichuan smiled. "The car accident wasn't an accident. I deliberately had the driver steer toward you, noticing your distraction. It was a deliberate collision."

Xia Yangyang understood immediately. She'd suspected his involvement, but never imagined it extended to their very first meeting. Every subsequent step, including her acting career and minor life choices, had been meticulously orchestrated by Shen Shichuan. Further questions seemed unnecessary.

She thought she'd seen through his machinations, but she'd been trapped from the beginning. The seemingly gentle gentleman before her was terrifying.

"Shen Shichuan, you're a schemer."

He smiled gently. "Thank you for the compliment." He paused, taking a deep breath. "But Yangyang, you're wrong. You assume the person who enjoys the victory must be the mastermind, but that's not always the case."

"What are you saying?"

"I genuinely wanted to comfort you."

Xia Yangyang sneered. "Like a cat crying over a dead mouse—feigning compassion."

"It's alright if you misunderstand. You know my intention was to make you divorce Gu Qichen. I couldn't bear to see Manbing hurt; she's my beloved sister. I felt compelled, but I can compensate you."

"How?"

"Marry me after your divorce from Ah Chen."

"I don't think I'm that fortunate."

Shen Shichuan smiled gently. "Since you're not accepting my compensation, I won't insist."

With everything revealed, neither bothered to hide their true feelings. Shen Shichuan continued, "But I have a few questions. Since you suspected me, saw through my intentions and actions, even predicted my next move, why cooperate? Your attempt to lure me into a trap was crude. Now, nobody will believe you, not even Gu Qichen. You've become an eternal villain; the truth hardly matters anymore."

The banquet hall's lighting remained dim, casting half of Shen Shichuan's face in shadow, like a devil in scholar's clothing.

Xia Yangyang remained unruffled. "No, Shen Shichuan, you didn't anticipate this. It's all a performance orchestrated by Shen Manbing and me. The supposed bets, the tripped skirt, the dressing room conversations—all calculated. Tomorrow's news won't be about me sabotaging the music queen and suffering a downfall. It will be about us collaborating on a new movie, based on a true story depicting entertainment industry intrigue. We informed Global Entertainment of our plan. The president agreed and shared the script with several heavyweight stars here tonight, who will testify for us. We even filmed a clip explaining everything a month and a half ago—the fan sabotage, the tripped skirt, this entire banquet. It was all part of the script. We withdrew from the Best Actress competition. SH Film and Television Awards will announce a new winner. A new awards ceremony will be held in three days, with another star-studded gathering."